Audi A6 e-tron Review 2024

During a period of unprecedented change within the industry as it and consumers grapple with electric cars, different brands are approaching the challenge in a variety of ways. One of the latest to go on sale is the Audi A6 e-tron, signaling a new era in how the upmarket brand labels its models.

First things first, the fully electric A6 e-tron is an additional model to the range and not a replacement for the existing, combustion-engined Audi A6 ranges, which will continue on sale for the time being.

If anything, the A6 e-tron is part of a two-pronged strategy to replace the previous Audi A4. From now on, even-numbered models will be EVs, while the odd-numbered range one digit below will continue — for now — to be the petrol- and diesel-powered choices, albeit with different bodywork and underpinnings, although similarly sized.

So, yes, that means the A4’s replacement is the new Audi A5, although if you want an electric model of a similar size, you’ll be looking at the Audi A6 e-tron, which is a bit smaller than the current A6. It seems confusing now but let’s hope it makes more sense as the range fleshes out.

Due to the way EVs have their batteries located under the floor the taller bodywork offered by SUVs makes them the ideal choice for packaging electrical gubbins without compromising passenger space. Not everyone wants an SUV, of course, hence more traditional bodystyles are making appearances in electric form.

Indeed, the PPE platform that underpins the A6 e-tron has already made its debut beneath the SUV-bodied Audi Q6 e-tron, with the two sharing many styling similarities, such as narrow LED headlights, full-width LEDs at the rear incorporating the four-ring logo and the body-coloured grille infill.

Audi is selling the A6 e-tron with two bodywork options — there’s the sleek Sportback, which is Audispeak for a five-door coupe-hatchback, and the Avant, a label the company’s long-attached to its estate models, although none has been as rakish as this one.

Given the Audi A6 e-tron’s size, it would appear to be an obvious competitor to the very popular Tesla Model 3 saloon. However the Audi’s £62,500 starting price is significantly more than the Tesla’s which is sub-£40,000.

Although it’s pitched as an SUV coupe, the Polestar 4 is more along the Audi’s lines in terms of price and length although its rear window-less styling is likely to be more polarising than the A6 e-tron’s slightly more conventional appearance.

A little larger still are the alternatives from Audi’s more traditional rivals. Like the A6 e-tron, the BMW i5 is available in both saloon and estate (Touring) bodystyles, although based on that firm’s approach it looks more or less identical to the BMW 5 Series range.

Available only as a saloon and, like the Audi, built on a dedicated EV platform is the Mercedes EQE. As with the i5, the EQE is a smidge longer than the A6 e-tron, but they’re close enough to be considered viable alternatives in terms of size and price.

Four electrical drive systems are available for the Audi A6 e-tron, with the least expensive likely to prove the most popular as it offers a performance and driving range combination that will suit the majority of buyers.

Simply referred to as e-tron, it has a 326PS motor powering the rear wheels delivering a 0-62mph acceleration time of 6.0 seconds. Its 75.8kWh battery pack serves-up a claimed WLTP combined range of up to 382 miles in Sportback form, 361 for the Avant and can be charged from 10%-80% capacity in 21 minutes thanks to its 225kW on-board DC chargers.

All of the other Audi A6 e-tron power options described below have a larger 94.9kWh battery with a 270kW on-board DC charger, which similarly allows them to recharge from 10%-80% capacity in 21 minutes.

Second rung-up of the ladder is the A6 e-tron performance — this model retains rear-wheel drive with power increased to 380PS and a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds. WLTP Combined range for the Sportback is 463 miles, while the Avant claims 437 miles.

Audi has a long association with four-wheel drive, with such an arrangement featuring in the A6 e-tron quattro. The rear-mounted motor is joined by a second at the front, together producing 462PS and trimming the 0-62mph dash down to 4.5 seconds. The extra grunt and weight nibbles away at the range, Audi claiming 438 miles for the Sportback and 415 miles for the Avant.

Topping the range is the S6 e-tron quattro, its pair of motors producing a total of 550PS and delivering a rapid 3.9-second 0-62mph time. Needless to say, overall driving range is a little less again, the Sportback with a claim of 405 miles, the Avant at 388 miles.

For each of the Audi A6 e-tron-badged models, a trio of familiar trim levels are offered — Sport, S line and Edition 1, the latter likely only to be available for the first year before being replaced by Black Edition or Vorsprung.

It’s a similar situation with the high performance Audi S6 e-tron, which is presently only available in Edition 1 guise.

As buyers expect of modern Audis, the A6 e-tron’s interior is of high quality and packed with equipment including three dashboard screens — an 11.9-inch display for the driver’s virtual dials, a 14.5-inch multimedia touchscreen and a separate 10.9-inch one for the front passenger.

Audi’s also introduced the option of its improved door mirror-replacing rear-view cameras, while the opacity of the glass roof option can be varied without the need for a physical blind, tech we’ve already seen on the Renault Scenic E-Tech.

Already available to order in the UK, first customer deliveries of the Audi A6 e-tron are expected to begin in February 2025.